The Salvation Army Booth College

This unit introduces students to the foundational skills of critical thinking and writing for use in the study of theology and related disciplines. It is designed to equip the student in the evaluation and construction of theological ideas through the appropriation of the principles of logic and reasoning. The skills developed will include the analysis and construction of sound arguments, identifying and avoiding logical fallacies, writing with clarity, and distinguishing between weak sense and strong sense critical thinking.

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Lectures, discussion, forum engagement, videos, reading *This unit is offered at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. Students may engage with people across both levels when this unit is delivered.

1 x 800 word primary source analysis - 20% 3 x 400 word exercises (1,200 words total) - 30% 1 x 2,000 word essay - 50%

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to: 1. Describe the nature of logic and argument. 2. Identify and construct deductively valid conclusions. 3. Apply critical thinking skills to theological research and essay writing. 4. Show basic skills in the construction and evaluation of arguments.

Text to be purchased Browne, M. Neal and Stuart M. Keeley. Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. Global ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2014.